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Utah owners pledge $10m towards building 20 new ice rinks in state

Greatzsky 99 said:
This Smith guy seems to be a great owner, a step up from that Phoenix fellow.
It was a classic, when Phoenix man and Bettman had the Q and A
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It's amazing that an owner actually has to invest in an area that isn't considered to be a normal hockey market, in order to grow the game and get more fans to show up. Simply mind boggling that Meruelo was allowed to con the public/NHL into believing he was interested in anything other than the future real estate and possible gambling rights.
 
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I'm sure this is the kind of commitment the league is looking for from prospective owners in other expansion markets. It's one thing to buy a franchise and plop it down in a logical location, but it's another entirely to build or help fund the construction of rink in the region.
 
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Smith went to BYU, so I wonder if he will ever pull a Pegula 2.0 and start them a DI hockey team?! They definitely have the NCHC conference to potentially play in with a ton of geographical teams around them.
 
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S E P H said:
Smith went to BYU, so I wonder if he will ever pull a Pegula 2.0 and start them a DI hockey team?! They definitely have the NCHC conference to potentially play in with a ton of geographical teams around them.
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Seems reasonable...especially when they will want a tenant for the current arena after they move to the new one.
 
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S E P H said:
You mean Utah HC? I don't think they are moving to a new arena, Smith is putting in tons of funds to redo the entire Delta Centre, including stretching it out.
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They are getting a new arena with the Winter Olympics bid
 
I was a professor in SLC for a year shortly after the Olympics, and hockey was big all across town. Loved playing at the Steiner rink.

One downside is that I learned how to play goal on a slightly-smaller than NHL rink, and it was easy for me to go into the corners and get pucks and turn them back up ice. Every SLC rink was Olympic sized, and each time I'd go to get the loose puck, the forechecker would get there first (and I'd be well out of the net).
 
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S E P H said:
Smith went to BYU, so I wonder if he will ever pull a Pegula 2.0 and start them a DI hockey team?! They definitely have the NCHC conference to potentially play in with a ton of geographical teams around them.
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BYU dropped club hockey during CoVID.

University of Utah has a D1 ACHA program that finish ranked 8th nationally last year. They're about where ASU was when ASU got the private financial support to go to NCAA D1.

So yes.... I could see a resurgence of men's hockey at BYU in the near future.
 
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S E P H said:
You mean Utah HC? I don't think they are moving to a new arena, Smith is putting in tons of funds to redo the entire Delta Centre, including stretching it out.
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Phase 1 (of 3) expansion of Delta Center begins next month.


Google AI summary....

Here's a more detailed timeline:
  • April 2025: Construction to remodel the Delta Center could begin.

  • April 2025 to October 2025: Demolish and rebuild the north end's seating bowl.

  • October 2026 to April 2027: Finish work on the new south end.

  • Fall 2027: Smith Entertainment Group anticipates completing the multiyear Delta Center remodel.

    • 2027-28 Season: The renovations are scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027-28 NBA/NHL seasons.
    • 2033: The rest of the entertainment district surrounding the arena is expected to be completed by 2033.
 
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eojsmada said:
It's amazing that an owner actually has to invest in an area that isn't considered to be a normal hockey market, in order to grow the game and get more fans to show up. Simply mind boggling that Meruelo was allowed to con the public/NHL into believing he was interested in anything other than the future real estate and possible gambling rights.
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Did Muerelo stop funding for the community hockey that the Coyotes were involved with(while he still had the Coyotes)? Coyotes were helping with street hockey and Kachinas long before Muerelo took over.
 
Looks like they already have architectural drawings for single rink, double rink and triple rink buildings.

Many municipalities may be willing to donate land.

Looks more like a partnership deal than self building venues.
 
awfulwaffle said:
Did Muerelo stop funding for the community hockey that the Coyotes were involved with(while he still had the Coyotes)? Coyotes were helping with street hockey and Kachinas long before Muerelo took over.
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He donated about $2million in equipment and monies towards the youth hockey programs upon exit.

Since then all those programs have been fundraising on their own through local business contacts.
 
LadyStanley said:
Looks like they already have architectural drawings for single rink, double rink and triple rink buildings.

Many municipalities may be willing to donate land.

Looks more like a partnership deal than self building venues.
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The long and short of it.....

He's promising to contribute up to $500k towards any project that will add to the number of ice sheets in the state of Utah..... nothing more..... nothing less.
 
TheLegend said:
The long and short of it.....

He's promising to contribute up to $500k towards any project that will add to the number of ice sheets in the state of Utah..... nothing more..... nothing less.
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That was pretty clear from the original post in this thread.
 
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